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Recognition

It’s been 45 years since the iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. But today his name and, more importantly, his lifelong work of fighting for peace, equality and justice is being remembered on what would have been his 85th birthday.

In the decades since his death, the work of Dr. King has been held up as a standard for society. Today, as Americans look to the future, they still right the wrongs and tackle the injustices that Dr. King gave his life fighting.

In Tallahassee, numerous events will celebrate the life of Dr. King and what we have accomplished in bettering the lives of others through community outreach, shaping future role models, promoting the merits of education and confronting some of the same injustices that Dr. King addressed.

At noon today, the north rotunda of the Leon County Courthouse will provide a backdrop as Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor and the MLK Foundation of Florida Inc. pay tribute to Tallahassee’s Bethel AME Church and its pastor, the Rev. Julius H. McAllister Jr.

Also being honored is the Suwannee River Area Council of Boy Scouts of America for its efforts in re-establishing scouting’s presence on the south side.

Other tributes are being sponsored by the NAACP, the Inter-Civic Council of the Southern Christian Leadership Council of Tallahassee Inc. and the city of Tallahassee.

The Bethel AME Church in Tallahassee has a long history of outreach, following in the model of Dr. King, who used the church as a foundation for the work to be done beyond the church’s walls. During the past year, Bethel again provided hundreds of gifts to children in need at Christmas, and assisted more than 2,500 people with food for their Thanksgiving meal. The church hosts forums that provide critical community information and dialogue.

In this community, it is one stalwart example of the important role that the church must play if it is serious about making a difference.

By taking part in today’s celebrations, residents of Tallahassee make their own statement about how the teachings of Dr. King reach beyond barriers and how his plea for racial diversity and compassion for others is being addressed.